Leave of Absence Specialist

This role sits at the intersection of compliance and compassion. At Van Meter, we believe caring for our employee-owners means supporting them through both the highs and the challenges of life, and the Leave of Absence Specialist plays a critical role in delivering that experience. Drawing on expertise in leave administration, accommodations, and employment law, this position provides guidance and support to employee-owners navigating complex personal, medical, and family situations. The ideal candidate combines technical excellence with empathy, ensuring every employee-owner feels informed, respected, and cared for while helping us uphold our People P culture and purpose of creating lasting value for those we serve.

This person will manage employee-owner leaves of absence and accommodation requests from intake through return to work with compassion, care, and respect for each person's unique circumstances. The role serves as a trusted resource and liaison among employee-owners, leaders, HR Business Partners, Benefits, Payroll, Safety, and leave vendors to ensure accurate leave administration, pay coordination, benefit continuity, documentation, and compliance. Balancing technical expertise with a people-first approach, the LOA Specialist helps employee-owners feel informed, supported, and treated with care while promoting Van Meter's 5 P's and purpose to create lasting value for those we serve.

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions:

• Support Van Meter's People P culture by showing care for employee-owners, and contributing to a positive, respectful, and service-oriented employee-owner experience during leave of absences.
• Manages and administers multi-state leave of absence programs, including FMLA, short- and long-term disability, parental, military, personal, and workers' compensation leaves, along with leave-related benefits and applicable leave laws.
• Ensures all leave programs comply with federal regulations (FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, USERRA) and evolving state/local paid family and medical leave laws.
• Serves as the primary contact for employee-owners, providing compassionate guidance and ensuring they understand leave of absence benefits, eligibility, leave options, and return-to-work expectations; facilitates the ADA interactive process for workplace accommodations by coordinating with employee-owners, leaders, medical providers, and legal counsel when necessary.
• Partners closely with Payroll, HR Business Partners, Benefits Specialist, and external workers' compensation administrators to ensure accurate time tracking, leave pay coordination, benefit continuity, leave status updates, employee-owner support, return-to-work processes, and state leave administration.
• Maintains confidential and accurate leave records, documentation, and status updates in applicable HRIS, payroll, benefits, vendor, and leave administration systems to support timely reporting, compliance, and employee-owner service.

Critical Success Factors:

• Ability to provide expertise in leave of absence programs, leave-related benefits, applicable leave laws, workplace accommodations, and workers' compensation while handling each leave with a people-first approach aligned with Van Meter's culture.
• Ability to use discernment and sound judgment to evaluate and guide employee-owners, leaders, internal partners, and vendors through complex or sensitive leave, accommodation, and return-to-work situations with clarity, empathy, and sound judgment.
• Detail oriented and able to analyze leave information, documentation, system data, and case details to solve problems and make sound decisions in time-sensitive situations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle confidential leave, medical, accommodation, workers' compensation, and employee-owner information with discretion and professionalism.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain leave options, required documentation, pay integration, benefit continuity, and return-to-work expectations clearly.
• Exhibits effective listening, organization, follow-up, and case management skills to support timely, accurate leave administration.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple leave, accommodation, workers' compensation, and return-to-work cases with competing deadlines and confidential details.

Job Requirements/Specifications:

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field required; equivalent leave administration experience may be considered.
• Minimum of two years of leave of absence, accommodation, and workers' compensation experience required. Multi-state leave, accommodation, and workers' compensation administration experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local leave laws and related employment regulations required, including FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, USERRA, and applicable paid family and medical leave requirements.
• Demonstrated case management, follow-up, prioritization, and process improvement ability required.
• Strong computer skills required, including Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, HRIS, payroll, benefits, vendor, and leave administration systems.
• Experience supporting ADA accommodation requests and the interactive process preferred.
• Experience managing confidential employee, medical, leave, accommodation, or workers' compensation documentation required.
• Experience working with third-party leave, disability, benefits, payroll, or workers' compensation administrators preferred.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• Consistent sitting, reaching, working with hands and fingers, talking, hearing, field of vision, working indoors with others and customer contact.
• Frequent standing and walking.
• Some lifting, carrying, pushing, bending and twisting, kneeling, and working alone.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an incumbent. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities

Several factors are considered in making compensation decisions at Van Meter; including but not limited to education, skill sets, work experience and training, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation may be below the lower end of the range when the minimum requirements of the role are not met and the higher end is reserved for candidates with extensive experience and qualifications that exceed the requirements of the role.